usapang buntis

i am already in my last leg of pregnancy, 32 weeks to be exact, but still my tummy looks smaller than it should. while i had the ideal weight gain of 25 lbs for iñigo i only gained a total of 7 lbs for this pregnancy when my weight was checked during my last prenatal check-up and that was only two and half weeks ago. i know i need a lot of catching up to do in terms of gaining weight since i only have five to seven more weeks to go till the d-day. jude also knows this very well that’s why he couldn’t complain when i ask even in the middle of the night for a take-out food.

 

i'm the one in blue shirt and black leggings. see how "slim" i am compared to the other moms who attended the childbirth/lamaze class to think that i am just few weeks behind...

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thank goodness my glucose or blood sugar level is back to normal. i haven’t shared it here yet but i was diagnosed to have a gestational diabetes on my fourth month by my previous obstretician as i failed in my ogtt test (the test wherein i a pregnant woman has to take that yucky syrup and wait for an hour to two inside a clinic or laboratory until a sample of her blood is extracted); and it’s probably because of the strict diet that her referred endocrinologist imposed on me that’s why i didn’t gain weight for the entire second trimester!. aside from the low-fat and no-sugar diet, i also made sure it’s high-fiber as i learned from one of my readings that fiber helps a lot in regulating the insulin in our body. staples now in my weekly grocery are wheat bread, brown or red rice, and lots of veggies and fruits.

i switched to another obstretician in my fifth month and the gestational diabetes was ruled out as my other lab tests measuring also my glucose level showed very good results. i wonder if the briskwalking, i.e. walking almost everyday from our condo building to the mall, which is as far as sm makati, with a toddler in tow, helped. hahaha.

but seriously, i briskwalked and did the prenatal exercises taught to us in our lamaze class. see… am also a good girl. =)

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i heard or read it many times but it’s now that i proved it: the best pregnancy is the first pregnancy as you only have yourself and the baby inside you to take care of for nine months.

i think having a very active preschooler inside the house is also one of the reasons why i am not gaining weight. i brought iñigo with me once in my prenatal check-up as jude had to be in the office and my ob who probably can’t believe that i stoop, squat, kneel, or whatever movement is required to keep up with the kiddo’s incessant demands or overflowing energy, said to iñigo before we left her clinic, “kaya pala hinde tumataba mommy mo e dahil sa ‘yo eh...” i just have to answer, “mismo, doc.”

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don’t you love to be pregnant these days when maternity clothes are more fab than ever and some of the ordinary clothes were also cut for preggies to fit in, and finding them in the mall would only take you a minute? well… i do! i am happy that those striped jumpers or blouses with embroidered pictures of teddy bears which expectant moms were donning in the 80’s and 90’s are already obsolete, and i am happier that empire-cut blouses or dresses are in trend right now and because of this am not forced to buy my clothes exclusively from maternity departments or shops, except for some of my pants. actually, all of the blouses i am wearing until now were just bought from women’s boutiques and it seems i will still fit into these tops until i popped out. =)

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it’s only now, and well, even in my first pregnancy, that i realized that most filipinos no longer give high regard to expectant women. sad isn’t it? i had some unfortunate incidents which proved that most filipinos now no longer care if you have that bump and need extra care or attention. one of my most unforgettable experiences was when i was still pregnant then with iñigo and i had to take the bus plying the lawton-alabang route as i was still working that time. it’s either i ended up in tears or cursing the bus driver or the conductor (or both of them!!!) as the bus would already move even if the pregnant me is just about to alight from the bus. i don’t know why i still had to remind them of the obvious that, “mama… buntis po ako!!!”

i am grateful now that i don’t need to travel everyday but still i get to experience a few disappointing moments outside my home like when i still have to queue on a long line for the entrance or a cab… never mind if i am carrying a grocery bag or has a three-year-old son with me.

but the worst treatment I have seen done to a pregnant mom, thanks god it’s not me, was when no one (even the men) offered their seats inside the bus and they pretended to be either asleep or busy chatting with their seatmates. *heavy sigh*

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is this what they call the second-child syndrome? there were some things i did for iñigo that i no longer, or still delaying to do for this pregnancy like praying the novena to st. raymund, video-recording his movements as seen thru my tummy, and listening to classical music. but i promise to start especially with the latter this week….

but as least, am sure that this time i will have a picture of me in my ripest... =)